When is it time to fold a Troop?

[John-in-KC 311]

gwd,

 

Please, please, please, do not follow the tradition of the other Troop in town (I think you're not, but it's a point worth making to the broader forum here):

 

Den Chiefs out serving the "younger and weaker" are serving their Troop as well as their Pack and Den. They deserve attendance credit in the Troop if their Den Chiefing conflicts with Troop meeting.

 

AFAIAC, the SPL should have someone making sure these young men are in the loop for campouts and other opportunities. That way, they get to give service, are doing a POR on the trail to Eagle, and get to have fun with their own peers.

 

One comment you should make to the Cubmasters and Den Leaders when you furnish Den Chiefs, assuming they are doing good work: This is a "back scratching" relationship. If our Troop furnishes good support, we think it's reasonable you will influence families to join our Troop.

 

BTW, what Hunt said about making sure your youth are welcoming and including when folks come visiting is a good idea (why do I suspect they already do this? ).

 

YIS

[gwd-scouter 11]

John-in-KC. No, in our troop if a fella is working as a Den Chief he gets full credit and all my support for having served in a POR even though he misses our Troop meetings.

 

He is kept in the loop by the SPL. We have worked it out with Den Leaders now and in the past that our Den Chiefs should attend our Troop meeting held the week before one of our campouts in order to help in the planning. So, our Den Chiefs work 3 out of four weeks with the Packs.

 

This was actually met with much surprise by the two Packs that we're working with right now. Both Cubmasters were told by other Troops they contacted that because their Den Meetings were held on the same night as the Troop's meetings, they couldn't provide Den Chiefs. When I offered up our guys and said of course they can miss Troop meetings, they are serving their troop by providing service to you...well, jaws dropped, stunned looks and thanks all around.

 

Now, if we can just work to build those two packs up so that they have more than just one fifth grader next year...